This invention relates generally to target shooting games and in particular to target shooting games employing guns or rifles utilizing a light beam.
Most of the target shooting games of the prior art utilized a light beam adapted to activate a photodetector either at the target or at the light emitting gun or rifle.
In one such apparatus, a multi-target shooting game utilized a plurality of targets in the form of light sensitive cells in close proximity to light emitting diodes. The target was activated by energizing the light emitting diode for a short period of time requiring the shooter to respond quickly, aim and fire in different directions as the different targets became active. The apparatus permitted only one player or shooter at a time to play.
In another prior art device a toy light emitting gun was used to shoot a pulse of light at a reflecting target. The reflected light was detected by a photodetector located in the toy gun. The apparatus did not distinguish which target had been hit. A sound effect was created when the photodetector in the gun detected a reflected beam of light.
A further shooting game utilized two players using light beam emitting guns to fire at photodetector targets located at each player's station.
One multiple player shooting apparatus utilized light beam emitting guns or rifles in which the various rifles were enabled sequentially in order to identify the rifle being fired. A multiplexer was provided for sequentially connecting a score display with each rifle. The multiplexer enabled the rifle only during the unique time period the associated rifle score display was connected to the targets. The enabling feature prevented any accurate determination of who hit the target first. The number of rifles that could be used at one time was limited by the time delay of the multiplexer.